Method of making shoes and shoe uppers



13%. 23, 1941. v A.'A. LAWSON 2,266,775

METHOD OF MAKING SHOES AND SHOE UPPERS Filed Nov. 22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l //v VEN TUR MAM y 4 W? Dec. 23, 1941. A. A. LAWSON 7 METHOD OF MAKING SHOES AND SHOE UPPERS Filed Nov. 22, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Deb. 23, 1941.

\ METHOD OF MAKING SHOES AND SHOE UPPERS Filed- Nov. 22, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 J50 J65 J56 2A5 I/E/VTU/F A. A. LAWSON 2,266,775

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 METHOD OF MAKING SHOES AND SHOE UPPERS Axel Arnold Lawson, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 22, 1939, Serial No. 305,619

29 Claims.

This invention relates to shoe uppers and methods of making and operating upon the same and it is illustrated herein with reference to shaping the heel ends or back parts of uppers preparatory to assembling them with insoles in constructing the shoes. The present application is a continuation in part of my copending application Serial No. 256,055, filed February 13, 1939 and covering improvements in machines for operating upon shoe uppers.

It has always been difficult in assembling uppers with insoles, preparatory to subsequent operations in constructing the shoes, to position and fit the heel or back part of the upper, commonly referred to as the quarter portion, on the heel portion of the last in such a manner that the back part will hug the heel portion of the last closely and smoothly at all parts and can be maintained in this close fitting relation during the subsequent operations referred to, that is to say, so that the back part of the upper will be held on the last with its back seam, or a line corresponding thereto, located in a straight position heightwise of the last and with the top and side portions of said back part, including the wings of the counter stiffener and the adjacent upper materials, conforming closely to the curves at corresponding portions of the last. This difiiculty arises from the peculiar configuration of the heel portion of a last which has curvatures both laterally and heightwise which tend to resist or render ineffective all attempts to obtain a close and accurate fit or conformation of the upper to the heel portion of the last,

these attempts usually involving some sort of a shaping or molding operation preliminary to assembling the upper on a last.

Other conditions which militate against obtaining an accurate and close fit of the back part of the upper to the heel portion of the last are that the back part, at least in the ordinary shoe, is made up of several difierent layers of materials, namely, an outer layer of leather or fabric or substitutes for such materials, a lining of fabric or thin flexible leather, and a counter stiifener composed of fiber or a similar relatively inflexible material. Each of these layers has characteristics peculiar to itself and different from those of the other layers such, for example,

as tensile strength, resiliency, elasticity and so forth and, accordingly, when these layers are joined together in a single unit or assembly, they react differently to pressures and stresses applied to the back part during the manufacture of the shoe, and these different reactions tend. to Cause wrinkles, looseness between the layers, and other disadvantages which are not easily eradicated from the shoe.

While the attempts that have been made in the past to overcome the difficulties in obtaining a close and accurate fit of the back part of an upper to. the heel portion of a last by subjecting the back part assembly to pressure applied by molds shaped in accordance with the heel portion of a last have been partially successiul, in that they have eliminated or reduced some of the difilculties encountered, they have not entirely solved the problem and many difficulties still exist which are a constant source of trouble and expense to the manufacturer.

Since the recent increased popularity of the so-called two-part sandal type shoe the above problem has become more acute because the back part of the upper of such a shoe, although formed as a complete unit or assembly as in other shoes, is usually made up and assembled in the shoe separately from the fo-repart or vamp portion of the upper. is required to fit the heel portion of the last closely and accurately if a good shoe is to be made notwithstanding the fact that there is no integral vamp or forepart on this type of upper assembly and sometimes, as in the so-called open shank shoes, no appreciable shank portion to assist in holding the back part unit in close fitting relation to the heel portion of the last. Moreover, the back parts of both types of uppers, that is, the full length or closed upper of the ordinary shoe and the back part assembly of the two-part sandal must, in accordance with the practices referred to, be flanged at their lower marginal portions to cause these portions to overlap the heel seat portions of the insoles and lasts before the uppers are assembled with their insoles. Additional difiiculties have arisen in connection with this operation due to excessive and uneven wrinkling of the materials which constitute the flange and the impossibility of maintaining the flange in a proper bent position. Since these difficulties-have never been fully overcome they have further complicated the problem.

Objects of the present invention are to provide improvements in methods of making shoes and shaping shoe uppers in the practice of which the said difiiculties may be avoided.

In one aspect the invention provides an improved method of shaping shoe uppers prior to their assembly with insoles which includes the step of exerting pressure on the back part of This back part assembly, however,

an upper, or a predetermined portion thereof, While the back part is held under pressure in substantially the shape it will assume on a last or in a shoe, thereby stretching said portion relatively to the rest of the back part. The method also contemplates the shaping of the back parts of shoe uppers while held in the shape or position specified by applying thereto a brief but substantial molding pressure after the back part has been stretched as described above. The back part of the upper may then be flanged at its lower marginal portion, if desired, in any usual manner as, for example, by a counter molding machine of any conventional type having wipers for turning the flange and molds for clamping the upper during the flanging operation, these molds, incidentally, acting further to compress the materials of the upper and causing them to become permanently fixed or set in their molded position.

The stretching of the back part of the upper While it is bent into the curved position it will assume on a last and the brief molding pressure impart a curvature to the back part assembly which causes it to fit the heel end of a last more closely and accurately than heretofore. The predetermined portion stretched, which, as herein illustrated, is preferably an intramarginal portion at the heel end of the back part assembly, will be permanently displaced or deformed because the materials thereof will have been stretched beyond the limit of their elastic recovery or elasticity and molded in such condition. Accordingly, the materials will have practically no internal stresses or strains set up therein which will tend to urge them to return to their original positions. The stretching and brief molding of the back part of the upper, because the materials thereof have been rendered relatively limp or inert over a substantial portion of the back part, permanently displaces or "upsets the alinement of the fibers of the materials, particularly of the outer layer and counter stiffener, so that the upper materials assume a new shape which they will tend to hold and return to, this shape, as stated, simulating the shape which the upper will assume on a last or, in other words, the shape of the curvature at the heel portion of the last. If, then, the back part assembly is subsequently flanged by the wipers of an ordinary counter molding machine, the clamping pressure of such machine becomes more of a compressing or stabilizing pressure than a molding pressure and acts primarily to fix or "set the pre-stretched and molded materials in the desired shape. A flanging operation, however, is not essential where the back parts of the uppers are to be lasted to insoles in a lasting machine, particularly in the cases of separate back part assemblies for open shank shoes.

The invention further provides improved methods of forming a flanging crease and corrugations in a back part of an upper assembly which consists in molding or otherwise impressing a crease and radial corrugations simultaneously into the several layers of the back part assembly while the latter is bent or curved into substantially the shape it will assume on a last or in a shoe, the impressing preferably, but not necessarily, being done, as illustrated herein, after the upper materials have been stretched at a predetermined intramarginal portion thereof and have been molded to the shape of the heel portion of a last.

In another aspect the invention provides an improved method of making shoes in which the back part of a shoe upper, comprising an outer layer, a lining and a counter stiffener, is bent into the shape it will assume on a last and has pressure exerted on a portion thereof to stretch it relatively to the rest of the back part, after which the entire back part is molded to the shape of the heel portion of a last and its lower marginal portion is corrugated during the molding operation. The upper is then assembled with an insole and the corrugated lower margin of the back part may be wiped over the insole to form a flange which may be secured to the insole by fastenings. The method provides for assembling the upper with an insole either on or off a last and, if desired, for flanging the back part of the upper before it is assembled with an insole, thereby eliminating the wiping of the upper over the insole prior to securing the flange thereto.

The invention still further provides, as a new article of manufacture, a pre-shaped upper back part for shoes comprising an outer layer or quarter, a lining and an interposed counter stiffener, the entire assembly being conformed substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last and having an unflanged lower marginal portion which is corrugated or grooved to facilitate the subsequent formation of a flange on said back part. As herein illustrated, the corrugations extend radially in the marginal portion of the back part and are preferably formed only around the curve at the heel end of said back part. As a modification, the invention provides a shoe upper having the multi-ply back part, as described, with an intramarginal portion thereof stretched relatively to the rest of the back part and the entire back part, including the stretched portion, molded to conform to the shape of the heel portion of a last. Moreover, the lower marginal portion of the premolded and stretched back part may be corrugated and flanged, or it may be merely corrugated to facilitate the formation of a flange.

With the above and other features and aspects in View, the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and will thereafter be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a machine adapted for use in practicing the present invention, the mechanism being shown in its inoperative position;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a back part upper unit or assembly of a two-part upper for a sandal type shoe after the unit has been operated upon;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 2 of the back part unit after a flange has been formed thereon;

Fig. 4 is another perspective View of the unit showing the smooth condition of its inner side after it has been shaped and flanged;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the machine in an operative position, parts of the machine being shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the machine;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a full length or closed upper after the heel or back part thereof has been operated upon;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the back part of the closed upper of Fig. 7 after it has been flanged;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the closed upper assembled on a last with an insole and with its forepart lasted to the insole;

Fig. is a transverse section through the heel portion of the assembly of Fig. 9 while it is being subjected to a heel seat lasting operation; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the short back part of Fig. 3 assembled with an insole off a last and secured thereto by fastenings.

The illustrated method comprises preparing a shoe upper for embodiment in a shoeby stretching and molding the back part of the upper to the shape of the heel portion of a last, this back part consisting of an outer layer or quarter, a lining and an interposed counter stiffener. The back part is stretched at an intramarginal portion of its heel end and the entire back part is then molded into close conformity with the heel portion of the last. Moreover, the lower marginal portion of the back part is corrugated or crimped to facilitate the bending of a flange on the back part, this flange being bent either while preparing the upper or, if desired, being bent later durding the manufacture of the shoe. The stretching, molding and corrugating operations of the method are preferably carried out with the aid of a machine especially constructed for that purpose and fully disclosed and claimed in I my copending application above referred to. In order to give a complete understanding of the method, the essential features of this machine will be explained before its use in connection with the method is described.

The machine comprises an upstanding frame 2!] having bolted to its upper end a U-shaped bracket 22 which supports a work clamping member or holddown 24 pivotally arranged for heightwise floating movement in the bracket 22. The clamping member 24 is comprised of two parts hinged together at their upper ends by a horizontal pin 26, as shown in Fig. 5, and pivotally connected at their sides by links 28 to the bracket 22. The clamping member is normally urged downwardly into an open position by a compression spring 30 seated in an opening formed in a downwardly projecting boss 3| located at the upper end of the bracket 22; The hinged members 24 have secured thereto by screws an outer or female mold 32, composed of resilient material such as rubber, and this mold is backed up in the members 24 by filler blocks 34 shaped to conform the mold substantially to the heel portion of a last. In order to reduce to a minimum the friction between the work pieces and the mold and to avoid the formation of wrinkles in the materials operated upon, the inner surface of the mold is lined with a layer of leather or similar material 36 which is secured in position by confining plates and screws. 7

The shoe upper to be operated upon is mounted on a work support or form 38, sometimes called a plug, carried on the upper end of a vertically reciprocating jack 40 (Fig. 1) and, as indicated above, this shoe upper may comprise a short back part unit A (Fig. 2) for a two-part sandal. or it may consist of the heel or back portion of a full length or closed type upper B (Fig. '7) these back parts being made up of an outer layer or quarter, a lining and an interposed counter stiffener usually composed of fibrous material. The materials of the back part are flat at the time of operation and are preferably in a mulled or tempered condition which renders the operations more effective.

The jack 49 is mounted on a piston 42 (Fig. 1) arranged for vertical reciprocation in a cylinder 44 bolted to the base of the machine and supplied On the upper side of the piston 42 is pivotally secured between ears 52 a block 54 (Fig. 1) which has pivotally connected to its upper end a link 56 to which is fastened an upwardly extending lever or handle 58. Pivotally connected to the link 56 by a pin 60 is a coupling member 62 into which is threaded for heightwise adjustment the lower end of another piston 64 which supports on its upper end a housing 66, the housing being yieldingly sup-ported on the piston 64 by a spring 68 mounted in the housing and bearing against the piston. The housing 66 has bolted to its upper end an upwardly projecting U-shaped casting 10 which carries the work support or plug 38 and is hereinafter referred to as a horn.

' Moreover, the piston 64 is provided with an upwardly extending rod 12 having secured to its upper end an upstanding curved arm 14 arranged to move heightwise between the sides of the U-shaped horn 10.

The work support or plug 38 comprises a fixed forward member 16 shapedto conform closely to the heel portion of a last and having an opening 18 at its upper end of predetermined size and shape. The work support also has an inner adjustable section 86 which maybe adjusted heightwise on the horn by a screw 82 (Fig. 6). This adjustable inner section of the plug has secured to its forward surface a hardened steel plate 84 (Figs. 1 and 6) the ed e of which projects outwardly beyond the plug a short distance and is arranged to produce a crease or indentation on the inner sides of the upper materials and establish a line upon which the heel seat flange may be bent. Moreover, the inner member 89] is corrugated around its upper portion by a plurality of radially extending grooves 86 arranged to produce similar corrugations in the marginal portion of the back part of the upper to facilitate the formation of the flange thereon.

On the upper end of the curved arm 14 is mounted an upstanding pin 88 having secured by a set screw to its upper end a plunger 90. The outer surface of the plunger 93 is shaped to conform accurately to the contour of the rest of the plug when the plunger is in its uppermost position in the opening 18, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. However, when the plunger is in its lower position, as shown in Fig. 1, the continuity of the surface of the work support or plug. is broken and an aperture or opening is produced therein directly opposite an intramarginal portion of the heel end of the last and approximately at the point of its greatest curvature. Accordingly, when the plunger 90 is elevated the intramarginal portion of the back part assembly of the shoe upper will be engaged thereby and stretched into conformity with the plug, which is at that time in clamping relation with the mold or holddown 24, as will be presently explained, and this intramarginal portion will, therefore, be subjected to a preliminary stretching operation over a localized portion thereof and the back part will then be subjected to a brief molding operation over its entire area, including the Stretched portion, because of its engagement with the outer mold or holddown 24. As shown in Fig. 1, when the back part of the closed upper B is placed on the plug 38, the intramarginal portion referred to bridges the opening and is positioned substantially flat heightwise of the upper. However, when the plunger 90 engages this flat portion and stretches it, the back part conforms accurately to the curvature at the heel end of the last with no appreciable stretching of the remaining portions of the back part, which are clamped between the plug and the holddown or outer mold 24.

It might be explained here that the term conforming, as used herein is intended to refer more particularly to a stretching or deformation of the upper, as distinguished from the molding or compressing of the same between complemental molds. The term molding on the other hand, is intended to denote a genuine molding or compressing operation which acts rather to stabilize or Set the materials than to stretch them. It will be seen, therefore, that the action of the plunger 90 is definitely a stretching operation on the intramarginal portion of the back part whereas the operation upon the remaining or clamped portions of the back part is a molding or compressing action.

The operation of the jack and the outer mold or holddown upon a work piece is as follows: The full length or closed upper B,with a flat counter stiffener inserted between the outer layer and lining of the back part thereof, is placed over the plug 38 so that it is curved into substantially the shape it will assume on the heel portion of a last. The lower portions of this closed upper are tensioned to draw the upper tightly over the mold, in a manner to be referred to later, after which the operator swings the jack 4!! inwardly by the lever 58 and, by so doing, swings the toggle link 56 into a vertical position to elevate the jack as it swings inwardly and thereby cause the plug 38 to move upwardly into engagement with the holddown 24, the pressure being just sufficient to cause the rubber mold 32 to engage and hold the upper against the plug. The operator then starts the hydraulic power mechanism of the machine which elevates the lower piston 42 and moves the entire jack assembly upwardly against the outer mold or holddown. This upward movement of the jack also moves the piston 54 upwardly against the spring 68 which, after a predetermined clamping pressure has been applied to the back part between the plug and outer mold 24, yields to permit the housing 66 and horn Ill to move upwardly to force the back part of the upper yieldingly into clamping relation with the holddown 24 which, by reason of its floating arrangement on the bracket 22 by the links 28, closes around the plug automatically and thus clamps the back part firmly against the plug.

After the upper has been clamped, further upward movement of the piston 42 compresses the spring 68 and permits the smaller piston 64 to move upwardly in the housing 66 and carry with it the rod I2 and the upwardly extending arm I4 which carries the plunger 90, as described above. Consequently, the plunger is caused to move upwardly until the upper end of the curved arm I4 engages the horn I at which point the plunger registers accurately with the surface of the work support or plug 38, thereby stretching the intramarginal portion of the back part of the upper into close conformity with the plug, the entire back part also re ceiving a brief compressing or molding operation between the plug and holddown while the full pressure is being applied.

The stretching movement of the plunger while being insufiicient to split the upper materials is sufficient to stretch the several layers at the central or intramarginal portion of the back part assembly beyond the limits of their elastic recovery, that is to say, beyond the limits of their complete elastic recovery or elasticity. Accordingly, after being stretched these materials will not react and return to their original condition. Since the tensil strength of the different materials forming the back or heel portion of the upper, as well as their resiliencies, will usually diifer from each other, the operative movement of the plunger is preferably determined by the pressure required to stretch the counter stiflener beyond the limit of its elastic recovery because the fibrous material forming a counter stiffener is usually of substantially uniform strength and resiliency in all types of shoes.

As indicated above, it is desirable that the upper or back part assembly be tensioned to draw it tightly over the work support or plug and thereby insure that the back part is located in close engagement with the work sup port and also insure that the portion bridging the opening I8 is taut upon the support. To this end the machine is provided with a toe clamp or gripper arranged to grip the toe portion of a full length upper somewhat forwardly of the tip line. As shown in Fig. 1, this toe clamp comprises a curved inner plate 92 and a curved outer plate 94 for engaging and clamping the toe end of the upper B. The inner plate has two forwardly projecting arms 96 upon which is pivotally mounted a toggle mechanism indicated generaly at 98 which may be straightened against a spring I00 to press the outer plate forcibly against the inner plate. After the toe gripper has been actuated, it is moved downwardly to tension the back part of the upper around the plug. This is accomplished by a hand lever I02 pivoted on the horn at I04 and provided with a pair of upwardly inclined links I06 the upper ends of which are connected to the inner clamping plate 92 and have pins I08 projecting therefrom which ride in slots IID extending heightwise of the jack in a pair of guide members II2 secured by screws II4 to opposite sides of the horn ID. The tension on the upper is retained by means of a pawl (not shown) on the hand lever I02 engaging ratchet teeth H6 formed on an upwardly extending bar II8 pivoted on a plate secured by screws to the housing 66.

It is also desirable to tension the upper heightwise or forwardly and rearwardly over the plug 38 and, accordingly, the machine is further provided with mechanism indicated generally by the numeral I20 (Figs. 1 and 6) for accomplishing that purpose. The tensioning mechanism I20 comprises a pair of oppositely disposed grippers I22 (Fig. 1) arranged to grip the opposite side portions of the lower margin of the upper and pull the upper or its lining inwardly over the work support or plug. The grippers I22 are arranged to be moved rearwardly by a slide I24 mounted in a guideway I25 by the rotation of a hand wheel (not shown) secured on a transverse shaft I26 and rotating a pinion I28 (Fig. 6) which engages rack teeth I30 on the bottom of the slide I24, the tension on the grippers being maintained by friction which, in the present machine, is provided by a spring (not shown) suitably arranged between the hand wheel and the slide.

Although the operation of the machine in the practice of the method of stretching and molding the back part of a heel portion of an upper will be apparent from the foregoing description, a brief summary will be given for clearness and to insure a proper understanding of the invention. An upper B of the closed type (Fig. '7) usually comprises a full length outer layer I32 of leather, artificial leather or fabric, a fabric or leather lining I34, and, at its back part or quarter portion, a counter stiffener I36 of some fibrous material, the counter stiifener being sometimes, but not always, slightly curved widthwise by an operation in its manufacture and being located between the outer layer and the lining with a coating of cement such as latex or rubber cement on both sides which will cause the inner and outer layers to adhere to the counter stiffener after the cement has set. It may be pointed out that while these back part upper units or assemblies may be put together in different ways, sometimes, for example, by inserting the counter stiffener between the outer layer of the upper materials and the lining after the outer layer and lining have been stitched together around one edge to form a pocket, and sometimes by placing the three layers or plies of the upper upon each other while fiat with cement therebetween, pressing the layers together, and then stitching around their peripheries through all three layers and trimming the edges thereof,

the precise manner of assembling or constructing the back part portion of the upper, whether of the closed type or a back part unit for a twopart sandal type shoe, is immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned.

The back part of the upper is bent to impart thereto a substantially U-shaped curve and the upper is introduced into the machine with its assembled back part engaging the work support 38 and its inner or lower marginal portion overlying the member 80 of the support the amount which is to form the flange around the lower edge of the upper. In the case of the full length or closed upper B, the tee portion is inserted in and gripped by the toe clamp 92, 94, and the upper is placed under lengthwise tension by actuation of the handle I02 to draw the back part tightly around the Work support, this tension being maintained by the locking mechanism referred to. The tensioning of the closed upper lengthwise in this manner removes any wrinkles that may have been formed in the lining or the outer layer of the back part when the upper was bent into a U shape over the work support.

The opposite sides of the lining I34 of the closed upper are next inserted into the gripper jaws I22 and the lining is placed under heightwise or rearward tension to straighten it on the work support, and also to cause the top line of the upper to be pulled tightly against the support, by actuation of the grippers I22 the tension being maintained, as indicated above, by the friction created by a compression spring. The tensioning of the back part assemblies heightwise. or rearwardly with respect to the machine, eliminates wrinkles and smooths out and straightens the lining in the same manner that an operator does manually with pincers over a last in the so-called spindling operation prior to the side lasting and heel seat lasting operations on a shoe, except that, in the presentcase, the upper is not mounted on a last at the time and no assembling or pulling-over operations have been performed thereon. In the case of aback part upper assembly for a sandal type shoe, in which the materials forming the back part may have been stitched together during its construction, the opposite side portions of the assembly may, ifv desired, be inserted in the gripper jaws and tensioned heightwise or rearwardly of the work support in the manner just described.

The jack is swung inwardly into operative position about the pivot BI] and the handle 58 is lowered to elevate the jack and bring the upper into engagement with the mold 32 of the clamping member or holddown 24. The power is started to cause the hydraulic mechanism to elevate the piston 42 and, through the mechanisms alread described, to press the work support or plug 38 forcibly against the holddown 24 thereby clamping the back part or heel portion of the upper firmly against the work support except at the intramarginal portion which bridges the opening 18 in the work support, the materials at that portion being free of the support and being sub-- stantially flat or straight heightwise of the upper. As the clamping pressure increases through compression of the spring 68, the plunger moves positively upward into engagement with the straight portion of the upper spanning the opening and. stretches that portion into accurate conformity with the outer mold 32 of the holddown and, accordingly, into close conformity with the curvature at the heel end of a last. The entire heel portion of the upper, including the localized central portion of the back part engaged by the plunger, is then subjected to a brief molding operation under substantial pressure, after which the machine power is shut off to permit the jack to descend by gravity to its inoperative position where the operator breaks the toggle arrangement 52, 56, swings the jack outwardly, releases the tensioning devices, and removes the prestretched and molded upper from the work support.

As mentioned above, the procedure is somewhat simpler when operating on a back part upper unit or assembly of a two-part sandal type shoe such as the assembly A shown in Figs. 2 to 4, inclusive. A unit of this type generally comprises an outer layer I40 of leather or fabric, a lining I42 of fabric or thin leather, and a counter stiifener of fiber I44 which has been coated on both sides with cement and inserted between the outer layer and lining, by one of the methods referred to, to complete the assem" bly. The back part assembly A is presented to the work support 38 usually in a flat or unmolded condition, is bent around the support, and is held in a curved U-shape position by the operator and, if desired, by the gripper members I22 (Fig 1) while the operator swings the jack inwardly and elevates the work support by the handle 53 to move the upper into engagement with the mold 32 of the holddown 24. After the back part assembly has been moved into engagement with the holddown, the operator starts the machine power to subject the back part, or a predetermined localized portion thereof, to the stretching operation already described and to subject the entire back part to a brief molding operation under substantial pressure.

It will be seen from Figs. 2 and 7, which show the uppers or back part assemblies after they have been operated upon by the present machine,

that the heel or back parts of both types of uppers have been stretched sufficiently at localized intramarginal portions thereof and while 'bent into the U-shaped positions they would assume in a sho to cause these back parts to conform closely to the curves at the heel portion of a last or, if desired, to cause said back parts to curve a little more than corresponding portions of the last. Moreover, the back parts have also been subjected to a brief molding operation under substantial pressure which causes their side or wing portions to simulate the curves at the opposite sides of the heel end of the last. The lower marginal portions of the assembled back parts have also been corrugated or pleated while held in the position referred to under the clamping and molding pressure to produce pleats o-r ridges I46 and I48 (Figs. 2 and 7, respectively) which converge inwardly, or radially as viewed from above, and greatly facilitate the formation of the flange on the lower margin of the upper by controlling the distribution of the marginal material when the flange is bent, especially around the curve at the heel end of the last bottom.

It should be pointed out that uppers which have had their back parts treated in the manner descrived above, whether closed uppers or back part units for two-part sandal shoes, may, if desired, be assembled with their insoles on lasts without any further preparation and be subjected to the usual operations in constructing the shoe, namely, the pulling-over operation and the side, to and heel seat lasting operations, the heel seat lasting operation serving in such case to mold the back part of the upper again into close conformity with the shape of the heel portion of the last, through the action of the heel band or molds of the heel seat lasting machine, and operating also to bend the lower marginal portion of the back part assembly inwardly by means of wipers or plates to form the flange on the back part of the upper, after which the usual heel seat fastenings will be inserted to complete the lasting operation. The condition of these back part upper assemblies is such, therefore, at the completion of the stretching and molding operations, that the uppers may, if desired, be assembled with their insoles on lasts and the construction of the shoes may be completed without further conditioning of the back parts, thereby eliminating, for example, any special flanging operation or further molding of the back part.

Figs. 9 and illustrate the method of constructing the shoe, as indicated above, by using the pre-stretched and molded upper without further preparation, thereby eliminating a separate flanging operation. In Fig. 9, the upper B, as stated, is assembled on a last I59 with an insole I52 and the upper is pulled over, and is side lasted in any usual manner, in this case by staples I54. The toe end of the upper is secured in overlasted position against the insole by cement or similar means and the corrugated margin of the heel or back part of the upper, including the lining I34 and counter stiffener I36, is left projecting upwardly beyond the insole, as shown in Fig. 9, because the pre-stretched and premolded back part has not yet been flanged.

The shoe is then subjected to a heel seat lasting operation which serves to bend the corrugated margin to form the flange on the back part assembly and secure it to the insole by driven fastenings in the usual manner. Fig. 10 shows the shoe being lasted at the heel seat with the aid of a usual heel seat lasting machine such as seat lasting operation.

that of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States, No. 2,059,241, granted November 3, 1936, on an application filed in the name of Jacob C. Jorgensen. As shown in the patent, the last is mounted on the last pin or spindle E58 of the jack of the machine and the heel end of the shoe is moved lengthwise into engagement with a resilient heel band I58 and then upwardly against a holddown I69. The heel band I58 moves into clamping engagement with the back part and acts to compress or mold the back part again to the shape of the last, after which a pair of wipers I62 are moved inwardly to wipe the corrugated marginal portion of the back part of the upper over the insole I52, thereby bending the marginal portion inwardly to form a heel seat flange. While the wipers are still in their operated position the machine deposits fastenings, such as tacks I64, through tubes into a plurality of openings in the wipers extending around the entire heel seat portion of the shoe bottom and these tacks are driven automatically by a plurality of drivers I66 operating through driver openings provided therefor to complete the heel The tacks I64 will, of course, be clinched against the insole by the usual metal clinching plate I68 on the heel portion of the last bottom.

It is sometimes desirable to subject the back parts of the uppers to further preparation before assembling them with insoles either on or off lasts, particularly with respect to the back parts such as A (Fig. 2) of two-part sandal type shoes because these back parts are often assembled with their insoles without the usual heel seat lasting operation and must, therefore, be flanged at their lower marginal portions prior to such assembly so they can be built into the shoe. In order to complete the preparation of such back parts and put them into proper condition for assembly with their insoles, the uppers, as indicated above, may be subjected to a flanging operation in any conventional type of counter molding machine, in which case the pre-stretched and molded back parts will again be molded to the shape of a last during the flanging operation. The pre-shaped back part may, for example, while still in temper or a mulled condition, be mounted in a counter molding machine of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 467,473, granted January 19, 1892, on an application filed in the name of William C. Stewart, and it may be flanged by the wipers of such machine during which operation it will also i be subjected to molding pressure between the coacting molds of the machine for a suflicient period of time to insure that the several layers of the back part assembly will become permanently set or stabilized in the desired shape and position. This additional molding of the back part assembly further compresses the materials thereof and causes these materials, including any extra material produced by the initial stretching operation, to assume the desired last-like shape without setting up any internal tensions or strains which would tend subsequently to urge the materials out of their molded shape or position. It will be seen that, since the materials at the intramarginal portion of the back part of the upper have been stretched beyond the limit of their resiliency or elastic recovery, the fibers of these materials will have become relatively inert and limp and will have practically no tendency to react and return to their original unmolded shape or condition. In cases Where either the lining or the outer layer of the back part assembly may not have been stretched beyond the limit of its elastic recovery in the stretching and molding operation, the relatively rigid counter stiffener, which is always stretched beyond the limit of its elastic recovery, will prevent a return of these materials to their original condition after the cement between the counter stiffener and these other layers has set or become tacky. Accordingly, the last-like shape imparted to the heel portion of the upper will be retained indefinitely due in a large measure at least to the stretching and molding of the back part in the present machine.

In molding the back part of a two-part or short upper in a counter molding machine of the type referred to, the lower marginal portion of the back part is turned inwardly substantially at right angles to its main portion to form the flange by a pair of wipers or plates arranged to be swung inwardly about a pivot over the marginal portion of the upper or back part extending beyond the molds. In forming the flange considerable downward pressure may be exerted on the upper margin to insure that the flange will remain substantially at right angles to the body portion of the upper. The flange formed on the back part assembly A of a sandal type shoe is indicated by the numeral ill] in Fig. 3 and, in the closed upper B, it is indicated by the numeral I72 in Fig. 8.

It will be found that the accurate and. close fitting relation of the heel or back part portions of these flanged uppers to the heel portions of their lasts which can be obtained through the practice of the present invention renders it unnecessary to mount the uppers on lasts, unless such procedure is preferred, when assembling them with their insoles in constructing the shoe, or to perform the usual pulling-over and heel seat lasting operations prior to the attachment of the outsole. Instead of performing these operations, the flanged back part may be assembled with an insole and secured directly thereto by fastenings such as tacks, staples or similar means without subjecting the back part to a pulling-over operation either before or after the forepart of the upper has been lasted to the insole. Fig. 11 of the drawings illustrates the above method of constructing the shoe off the last with a heel end or back part unit of the short or two-part sandal type. The pre-stretched, molded and flanged back part A of Figs. 3 and 4 comprising, as stated, an outer layer or quarter, a lining and a counter stiffener, is assembled with an a insole H4, preferably a premolded insole shaped to conform to the bottom of a last, and the back part is secured to the insole by a plurality of staples I16 or similar fastenings located, in the present case, at the forward ends of the flange I'll) of the back part, thereby assembling the insole and back part for the subsequent operations in completing the shoe.

The assembling of the insole and back part off a last may be conveniently performed manually on a spindle or jack provided with a heel shaped metal form or it may be carried out by machine or in any other Well-known manner. After the insole and back part are assembled, as described, tacks or other fastenings I18 may be inserted by hand or by machine to complete the attachment of the back part to the insole.

The above procedure, as stated, avoids the use of a last at this stage of the method and it also eliminates a pulling-over operation as well as a heel seat iasting'operation in which the margin of the back part is wiped over the insole or flanged just before being attached thereto. After the assembled unit of Fig. 11 is completed, it may be readily mounted on a last to receive the forepart of the two-part sandal and to have an outsole and heel attached to complete the construction of the shoe. The mounting of the assembled back part and insole unit on the last will be relatively simple because the positioning and. assembling of these two members relatively to each other has already been done and. the unit will therefore assume a proper position on the last without the necessity of shifting the members to obtain such proper positioning. The outsole may then be applied and attached to the shoe in any desired manner as, for example, by nails, stitches or cement. If it is preferred to perform the usual pulling-over and lasting operations, particularly at the heel seat portion of the shoe, the accurate and close fit of the back part assembly to the heel portion of the last will greatly facilitate that procedure because there will be very little tendency to displace the back seam of the upper during such operations or, especially in the closed type upper, practically no tendency to set up internal stresses or strains in the upper materials which might cause wrinkles or subsequent displacement of the materials or otherwise interference with the close and accurate fit of the back part of the upper to the heel portion of the last.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, holding the back part of an upper in substantially the shape it will assume on a last, and exerting sufficient pressure on a small portion of said back part while preventing distortion of the rest of said back part to stretch said portion relatively to the rest of said back part.

2. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, holding the back part of an upper in substantially the shape it will assume on a last, exerting pressure on a predetermined portion of said back part to stretch it relatively to the rest of the back part, and, after said predetermined portion has been stretched, applying molding pressure to said portion to compress it and cause it to remain in its stretched condition.

3. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises stretching an intramarginal portion of the heel portion of a shoe upper, and, while holding said intramarginal portion in its stretched position, molding the entire {mil portion to the shape of the heel portion of a as 4. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises applying pressure to a predetermined intramarginal portion of the assembled heel portion of an upper consisting of an outer layer, a lining and a counter stiffener to stretch said portion beyond the limit of its elastic recovery, and simultaneously, applying molding pressure to the rest of the heel portion to shape it in accordance with the heel portion of a last.

5. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises stretching an intramarginal portion of the heel portion of a shoe upper while subjecting the rest of said heel portion to molding pressure adapted to shape the heel portion into conformity with the heel portion of a last.

6. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, positioning an upper with its back part bent in substantially the shape it will assume on a last, and, while maintaining said back. part in such position, exerting pressure on a predetermined portion thereof to stretch said portion beyond the limit of its elastic recovery.

7., That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, bending an upper while in a fiat condition so that its back part is curved intosubstantially the shape it will assume on a last, clamping said back part yieldingly in such position, and, While maintaining the clamping pressure, engaging a portionof said back part positively and stretching it relatively to the. rest of the upper.

8. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, holding an upper with its heel portion in substantially the shape it will assume on a last, exerting pressure on said heel portion while so held to stretch a portion thereon relatively to the rest of the back part, and thereafter molding the stretched heel portion into exactly the shape it will assume on a last.

9. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, clamping an upper with its heel portion bent into substantially the shape it will assume on a last, exerting pressure onan. intramarginal portion of said heel portion while clamped in said shape to stretch said portion beyond the limit of its elastic recovery, and then molding the entire heel portion into exactly the shape it will assume on a last.

10. Thatv improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, clamping an upper with its back part curved into substantially the shape itwill assume on the heel portion of a last, exerting pressure on said back part while so clamped to stretch a portion thereof relative- 1y to the rest of the back part, molding said back part into close conformity with the heel portion of a last, and bending the lower marginal portion of said back part inwardly to form a flange.

11. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, bending the back part of an unmolded upper into substantially the shape. itv will assume on a last, clamping said back part in such position with an intramarginal portion thereof unsupported, exerting pressure on said intramarginal portion to stretch it relatively' to the clamped portion of said back part, relieving said pressure and unclamp-ing the upper, molding the back part of the upper into the, shape of the heel portion of a last, and, while maintaining said back part in its molded shape, bending the lower marginal portion of said back part inwardly to produce a, flange.

12; That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which are to be subsequently molded and: flanged which comprises, holding an upper with its back part bent into. substantially the shape it will assume on a last, exerting pressure to control the distribution of material when said back part is flanged.

' 13. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, clamping the back part of an upper while it is bent into substantially the shape of the heel portion of a last, exerting pressure against an intramarginal portion of said back part to stretch said portion relatively to the rest of said back part, engaging the marginal portion of said back part along the line where a flange is to be formed and impressing a crease therein, and simultaneously engaging the marginal portion of said back part below said line and impressing radially extending grooves therein, thereby corrugating said portion while it is bent into substantially the shape of the heel portion of a last.

14. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, supporting the heel portion of an upper in substantially the shape it will assume on a last but with an intramarginal portion thereof unsupported, and engaging said intramarginal portion and exerting thereon a positive outward pressure which is determined by the tensile strength of the materials and is sufiicient to stretch said intramarginal portion beyond the limit of its elasticity but is below the breaking point of said materials.

15. That improvement. in methods of shaping the back parts of shoe uppers which comprises, providing an upper having a preassembled back part consisting of an outer layer, a lining and a counter stiffener, the counter stiffener being located between the. outer layer and lining and having cement thereon, clamping said back part in substantially the shape it will assume on a last with an intramarginal portion thereof unsupported, and exerting pressure against said intramarginal portion while the back part is. thus clamped to stretch it outwardly relatively to the rest of said back part before the cement has set.

16. That improvement in methods of shaping the back parts of shoe uppers which are subsequently to be molded to the shape of a last and flanged which comprises, providing an upper having apreassembled back part, including an outer layer; a lining and a counter stiffener in an unmolded condition, the counter stiffener being located between the outer layer and lining and having cement on its opposite sides, clamping said back part in substantially the position it will assume on the heel end of a last with an intramarginal portion of the: back part. unsupported, and exerting a predetermined pressure on said unsupported'intramarginal portion from its inner side outwardly, thereby stretching said portion a predetermined amount. before said back part is molded.

17,. That improvement in methods of shaping the back parts of shoe uppers which comprises, providing an upper having a preassembled back part consisting of an outer layer, a liningand an unmolded counter stiiiener, said stiffener being interposed between the outer layer and lining and having cement on its opposite sides, holding said upper with its back part in substantially' the shape it will assume on a last, exerting pressure on an intramarginal portion of said back partfrom the inner side of the upper outwardly to stretch said portion. relatively to the rest of said. back part, and thereafter applying molding pressure to-the' stretchedback part to mold'it-into conformity with the heel portion of a last.

18'. That improvement in methods of shaping the back parts of shoe uppers which comprises, providing an upper having a preassembled back part unit consisting of an outer layer, a lining and a counter stiffener, said stiffener being interposed between said outer layer and lining and having cement on its opposite sides, clamping said back part in substantially the shape it will assume on a last but with an intramarginal portion at the heel end unsupported, engaging said intramarginal portion and pressing it outwardly of the upper thereby stretching said portion, molding the stretched back part to the shape of the heel end of a last, and bending the lower marginal portion of said back part inwardly to form a flange.

19. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe upper which comprises, supporting the heel portion of an upper in substantially the shape it will assume on a last, gripping the upper and exerting lengthwise tension thereon, clamping the upper in said shape while under said tension, and exerting pressure on an intramarginal portion of said heel portion while so clamped to stretch said intramarginal portion.

20. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises; supporting the back part of an upper in substantially the shape it will assume on a last, tensioning the upper lengthwise while it is maintained in said shape, tensioning the back part of the upper heightwise while it is maintained in said shape, clamping said back part while under said tension, and exerting pressure on an intramarginal portion of said back part while so clamped to stretch said intramarginal portion.

21. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises, providing a full length closed upper having a preassembled back part consisting of an outer layer, a lining and a counter stiffener with cement therebetween, said back part being in an unmolded condition, supporting said back part in substantially the shape it will assume on the heel end of a last, engaging the toe portion of said upper and exerting lengthwise tension thereon, engaging said lining at the back part of the upper and tensioning it heightwise, thereby eliminating wrinkles in said lining, clamping said back part in the shape it assumes after tensioning, exerting pressure on an intramarginal portion at the rear end of said back part from the inner side of the upper outwardly, thereby stretching said portion relatively to the rest of said back part, and molding said back part to the shape of a last and turning its lower portion inwardly to form a flange.

22. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises bending the unmolded back part of a shoe upper into substantially the shape it will assume on a last, exerting pressure on a localized portion of said back part while so bent to stretch said portion beyond the limit of its resiliency, and applying molding pressure to said localized portion after it has been stretched.

23. That improvement in methods of shaping shoe uppers which comprises bending the back part of a shoe upper including an unmolded counter stiffener into substantially the shape it will assume on the heel portion of a last, clamping said back part in such position, exerting pressure on a localized portion at the heel end of said back part and stretching said localized portion beyond the limit of its elastic recovery, and thereafter molding the entire back part of the upper to the shape of the heel portion of a last.

24. A premolded shoe upper back part comprising a quarter, a lining and a counter stiffener, said back part being molded to finished shape and having an unflanged lower marginal portion corrugated at the heel end of the back part to facilitate the subsequent formation of a flange on said back part, the corrugations being confined to the lasting margin.

25. A preshaped shoe upper back part comprising a quarter, a lining and an interposed counter stiffener, said back part being molded to finished shape, the lower marginal portion of said back part being unflanged and being pleated by radially extending corrugations to facilitate the subsequent bending of said marginal portion inwardly to form a flange, the corrugations being confined to the lasting margin.

26. As an article of manufacture, a shoe upper the back part of which comprises a quarter, a lining and a counter stiffener, said back part having an intramarginal portion of its heel end stretched relatively to the rest of said back part and having its entire area, including the stretched portion, molded to correspond substantially to the shape of the heel portion of a last.

27. As an article of manufacture, a shoe upper the back part of which comprises an outer quarter, a lining and an interposed counter stifiener, said back part having an intramarginal portion of its heel end stretched outwardly and molded to form a permanent bulge which conforms substantially in shape to the corresponding portion of the heel end of a last, and said back part having its lower marginal portion corrugated around the heel end to facilitate the forming of a flange on said back part.

28. As an article of manufacture, a shoe upper the back part of which comprises a quarter, a lining and an interposed counter stiffener, said back part having a portion of its heel end stretched outwardly relatively to the remaining portion thereof and being molded throughout its entire area to conform it permanently to the shape of the heel portion of a last, said back part having its lower marginal portion turned inwardly to provide a flange around the heel seat portion thereof.

29. As an article of manufacture, a shoe upper the back part of which comprises a quarter, a lining and a counter stiffener, said back part having an intramarginal portion of its heel end stretched outwardly to form a permanent bulge, said bulge and the remaining portion of said back part being molded to conform to the shape of the heel portion of a last, the lower marginal portion of said back part being corrugated by radially extending creases, and said corrugated portion being bent inwardly to form a flange.

AXEL ARNOLD LAWSON. 

